Mia

Gracia Divina for Pablo Puerto del Mar

A cloud of twenty nine stallions
foaming at the mouth
burst through the gates of Saint Sebastian
snorting and whinnying
brewing up a storm.

Twenty nine notes of puro dolor
were heard above and below heaven;
twenty nine seahorses trumpeting
their entrance would not budge

not for Lorca, Neruda, Marquez
nor Miguel Angel Asturias
but for Pablo Puerto from the sea,

merman's eyes churning fawn
and fluorescence from its depths
who spoke the language of shells
curved and polished echoing sublimely
tongue-trilled along the ridges,

for him, they would light twenty nine candles above his head;
for him, they would strain the tendons tethered
to the boat and return him safely to the sea.

Languages of Loss

I've lost the language of bridges
from one life to another
past parts to the present,
ice floes across continents;

the tectonics of cities
blurred beyond traffic
and endless diners
steaming coffee
amongst early risers
mumbling truncated orders
rustle of newspapers
and laminated menus;

eggs over easy
and fresh-squeezed orange juice
forming globules of yellow droplets
on Formica counters.

I've lost the language of climbing
to know
the tiredness of endless stairs
doves preening, bb's of eyes
gazing out filmy windows
across spires and turrets
spiders crawling along
webbed architectures
of gothic dreams;

the meaning of stars
and their constellations
glowing in the dark
flaking off ceilings
in cheap tawdry rooms
as debris
falling out of sky.

I've lost the language of jungles
their deep dark greens
the moist, balmy airs
landing on four jagged paws
growls
rustling through bamboo trees
in search of wayward children,
devouring soft persimmons;

the reverence of lit lanterns
pendulums of shadows creaking
and stark-eyed villagers
listening
to the language of tigers,

screams
tearing apart the night.

Mia currently resides in California. Past publication credits include (in alphabetical order): 3rd Muse, Atomic Petals, Comrades, Little Brown Poetry, Naked Poetry, Pierian Springs Poetry Journal and The Poet's Canvas. Upcoming work to appear in Dirty Pigeon Press, Kitty Litter Press, Wired Art, Wired Hearts and other publications.